Carried Away
by belle-chan
Summary: Kaoru and her boss aren’t really getting along. What happens when Kaoru’s lie puts her into a notsoprofessional situation with her boss – Kenshin? Will unlikely feelings remain locked up or would she let herself be carried away by what she knows is a lie?
1. Eavesdropping

Title: Carried Away

Author: Belle-chan

Genre: Romance

Pairing: Kenshin / Kaoru

Rating: T

Summary: Kaoru and her boss aren't really getting along. What happens when Kaoru's lie puts her into a not-so-professional situation with her boss – Kenshin? Will unlikely feelings remain locked up or would she let herself be carried away by what she knows is a lie?

CHAPTER ONE – Eavesdropping

Due to the heat of the sun, beads of sweat began to form all over Kaoru's slender body – but she really needs to finish the job she had been working on since morning. That's mainly the reason why they're still working through this wonderful Sunday here in the province instead of staying home or enjoying themselves. SHINE magazine, a publication owned by the company she works for, is one of the leading magazines in the nation. They are working on a special feature about this private resort which is being converted into a tourist destination.

She was requested to write a special feature on all the new hot spots to visit this coming summer. Good thing, her boss is a special friend of the owner of this resort – and this resort is owned by the famous Yukishiro Realty. She and photographer Aoshi Shinomori were in charge of this project. They were welcomed hospitably and were given free accommodations by the Yukishiro family itself.

The thirst she felt drove her to return to their cottage. Still far from the cottage, she could see through the window a man with his back to her. She knows that man very well even if she couldn't see his face. Maybe he had just arrived from Tokyo to check on them. Even though her heart is beating frantically, she forced herself to stay clam while walking towards the cottage.

"I'm glad that Kaoru was assigned to be my partner for this project," she heard Aoshi say. Hearing herself being discussed stopped her from entering the cottage.

"Yes I know," came the short reply of Kenshin – her boss.

"And she's very efficient," came the praise from her partner who had been warming her heart with his compliments.

"Yes, she's a very talented editor, but as a woman, I have this feeling she'll end up being a spinster," she heard Kenshin's answer which startled her because of his unlikely comment.

"What made you say that?"

"She's not feminine enough," was the heartless reply of Kenshin.

At this point, Kaoru wasn't able to contain her irritation anymore and she walked out of her hiding place. She has nothing to be ashamed of – it is them who should be more ashamed because of their conversation.

"Good Afternoon, sir Himura," came her stiff greeting to the man who was still standing beside the window. She had been restraining herself from showing any emotion. Kenshin seemed surprised for a moment but he was able to cover his shock immediately.

"Have you been there for a long time?" asked Aoshi.

"Not really," she answered, still trying to refrain herself from punching Kenshin right in the face. When she stole a glance from his face, she saw an amused smirk lingering upon his lips. "I'll just get something to drink," Kaoru continued.

But instead of getting herself something to drink, she went straight to her bedroom and took a good look at herself in the mirror. She didn't have any wrinkles on her forehead. Her skin remained soft and smooth in spite of the golden tan she got after being under the sun for quite a while. Her best asset would be her almond-shaped eyes with naturally beautiful long lashes – but it seemed unnoticed because of the glasses she's wearing. She has contact lenses but she only keeps them in case of emergency and she's not comfortable wearing them. If you would look at her figure, she has a well-proportioned height that reaches 5'4" and her body just seemed the right shape. Her hair, which reaches her mid-back, has always been tied up in a ponytail during work so it couldn't disturb her. Her sense of fashion is fine and simple – a simple blouse with slacks which she usually wears while working.

She knows there is nothing wrong with her appearance. It's just that Mr. Kenshin Himura has a different taste in women. She could say that from all the rumors she's been hearing that the women he's involved with are all very sophisticated.

The only thing she hates is the way he judged her when she doesn't even recognize him from a non-personal view. It hurt her that she had a certain crush on the bachelor for a long time. A feeling she's been used to hiding.

She has been working under SHINE for three years. It's one of the businesses of Mr. Himura's family. When she entered the company, it was still under the administration of Mr. Hiko Seijiro Himura – Kenshin's father – but after a year, he decided to retire and leave the business to his son.

Aoshi and Kenshin had been classmates and buddies since college so she was certain that the conversation she heard earlier had just been useless chat between the two.

She decided to go back outside because the two may be wondering what's taking her so long.

Both of them were not in the living room when she got back and she was thankful for that. She got back to what she was working on peacefully. It was late in the afternoon when the three of them met again. The two passed by her a while ago and good thing, instead of talking to her, they just waved at her – God! She's still mad at Kenshin.

"So, I'll be staying here and I'll just meet you in Tokyo tomorrow," Aoshi said.

"What?" she shrieked.

"He still has a lot more pictures to take in some remote parts of the resort," Kenshin butt in.

"Yes, I know, but don't you need me here?" she asked Aoshi.

"It's fine. I'll take care of it. Your parents may be worried about you," Aoshi sheepishly replied.

"I can call them through my cell phone," she reasoned. The truth is that she really wanted to go home but she doesn't wanna go back alone with Kenshin. She was used to being with Aoshi when they got here.

"You have a lot more tings to take care of in Tokyo than here so I'll just take you with me," Kenshin inserted. "We are chasing a deadline and you need to check and edit the layout," he said in a more serious tone.

"Okay," came her brief answer despite the frantic beating of her heart. Even though she was still angry at Kenshin, he still had that affect on her. "I'll just get ready."

It was already dark when they left the resort. Not one of them said a word during trip. Kaoru focused her eyes on the sceneries they were passing by. This was the first time she and Kenshin were left alone on a trip so she really felt uneasy. She had a feeling they would have a really long trip.

They were in the middle of their trip back home when he suddenly stopped by a restaurant. "Let's eat first," he said, and then he suddenly got out of the car without waiting for her answer. He went to her side and opened her door for her.

There were also travelers like themselves in the restaurant. They sat in a table for two and ordered food.

"Are you mad at me, Miss Kamiya?" came Kenshin's question which startled her. He has not been noticing her since they left the resort and she thought he didn't think of talking to her for the rest of the evening.

"Why should I be angry?"

"You seemed really quiet and you wouldn't even look at me," he seriously said.

She stiffened. This was her natural self whenever she's with Kenshin – and he's even wondering why she's acting this way! She's only able to talk to him sensibly if it's regarding work and if they're not alone. "Maybe I'm just tired," she lied.

He didn't move. When they finished eating, they immediately continued their journey.

"You can sleep if you want," he told her while he handed her a pillow from the car's backseat and turned the indoor light off.

She thanked him. She was really tired from working the whole day.

"Wake up, Kaoru," she heard him whisper into her ear. She shifted. She didn't notice that she had put her head on his shoulder while she was sleeping.

"Sorry," she shamefully apologized.

He didn't mind that. "I just wanna ask the directions to your home," he said. She looked outside – she knew the place.

"You can drop me here," she said still shy. "I can take a taxi from here".

"I'll drive you home. I know that your place isn't really out of the way of my route home. So just tell me the directions". She knew that she couldn't change his mind about that so she told him.

"Ok, goodnight. Thanks," she told him when the car stopped in front of her home. He got out and helped her carry her belongings to the door.

"You're welcome," he said and started walking towards the car. "Oh, It's ok If you arrive late at work tomorrow," he told her before he got inside his car. Then she just looked at the car go farther away from her.

PLEASE REVIEW! I don't wanna continue a story without reviewers. So, please…

Anyway, Kaoru's 'lie' would be in probably the 3rd or 4th chapter because right now, I wanna establish where the characters stand before the 'lie' came up.

Thanks for reading and God bless!

Belle-chan


	2. The Yukishiros

**Title:** Carried Away

**Author:** belle-chan

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

**AN**: Hey guys! Thanks for your reviews. I know it's been a while but I'm back to finish the story. I've already graduated from HS and it is summer vacation. Yay! Yearbook editing and enrollment may be a hustle but I will finish this fic. Thanks for all your advice and reminders about the grammar and spelling. I'll really try my best to avoid them but I can't promise anything about that.

_Chapter Two:_

**The Yukishiros**

After a few days, Kenshin held a meeting. When Kaoru arrived, she also saw Aoshi there with him and now, they weren't talking about her. She thought that was a go signal to show herself to the two guys.

"Kaoru's already here," Aoshi noticed.

"Good afternoon," she greeted the two men but she only focused her eyes on her partner. She didn't dare to look into Kenshin's eyes like before. She might be overcome by the urge to kick him really hard for his blasted comments a few days ago, or worse, she might be overcome by the urge to kiss him senseless for just looking so handsome.

"Have a seat, Kaoru," said Kenshin. And he started to discuss the agenda of their meeting. "Before I forget, the chairman of Yukishiro Realty wants us to meet him for dinner tomorrow in their home." Geez, _home_. But Kaoru had a feeling it was a mansion.

"What time?" Aoshi asked - ever the organized and level-headed one.

"About 7:30 and I insist that we arrive together. Any questions?" he said with a curious glance. "Kaoru?" he asked the lady. Why does he always need to ask her every meeting? If she had a question she would have asked immediately. She was starting to get annoyed with this. She's not stupid, and he should know that.

"None," she answered turning a short glance at him.

"OK, you may go now," he finally said.

The Yukishiro mansion was definitely huge and elegant – well, that shouldn't be a surprise since its owner was the chairman of one of the biggest real estate companies in the country. Its tall, green gates surrounded the enormous backyard which has a variety of orchids. The house, or mansion rather, was of stone and was painted as white as snow on the outside. Its double doors were elegantly carved and there stood Mr. Katsura Yukishiro with another man who looked just like him and stood taller than him. Kaoru gathered it may be his son, Enishi. She knew Katsura was widowed a long time ago.

"Good evening, Sir," Kenshin greeted the man as he shook his hand.

Kenshin was introducing them all to Mr. Yukishiro and his son when a woman about Kenshin's age arrived. She's as tall as a model could be and had skin so white. Her dress and jewelry were obviously worth thousands of dollars and her fragrance could be inhaled throughout the room.

"Kenshin!" she excitedly said as she rushed off to kiss the guy's cheek. Kaoru felt that it was as if someone just pinched her heart. The girl just had to kiss him. Why couldn't she kiss him? It was obvious this girl was one of Kenshin's girlfriends. Yup, she's definitely the type Kenshin would date.

"Hello, Tomoe," Kenshin answered with a wide smile. "When did you get back to this country?"

"Just yesterday. I was going to call you but Dad mentioned you were coming today. How are you?"

"I'm fine. You look more beautiful every time I see you," he praised.

"Oh, I'm not the only one, you also look more handsome as the years go by."

"Tomoe," Katsura inserted. "I'd like you to meet Ms. Kaoru Kamiya and Mr. Aoshi Shinomori, Kenshin's colleagues.

"Glad to meet you both," a nod and a small smile was all they got from Tomoe before she focused on Kenshin once again. Kenshin and Kaoru's eyes met and she wasn't sure if it was a smile she saw form in his lips.

"Come on, let's get inside," Katsura offered. Everyone got inside together.

"Shall we, miss?" said Enishi as he offered Kaoru his arm. She smiled and accepted it. Aoshi and Katsura were behind them and she could hear them start discussing the project.

She sat down beside Enishi while Aoshi was on her other side. Kenshin was between Tomoe and Katsura and he sat directly before her. She couldn't help but look at him and she saw that he was enjoying Tomoe's company. Who wouldn't? But she knew the answer to that – all the girls who had a crush on Kenshin. Pity she was one of them.

"Tomoe and Kenshin were classmates in high school. After that, Tomoe went to Europe and became a model. She met her husband there," Enishi informed her as he saw her observing the two. Good thing she didn't need to ask him 'cause she was dying of curiosity. Wait, _married! _She didn't even seem like the type of person who would marry!

"She's _married?_" surprised, she asked.

"Yup, but she's working on their divorce."

"Ah…" she replied pretending she wasn't interested. The truth was she was jealous of the woman though she had no right to be.

"May I call you Kaoru?" Enishi asked.

"Sure," she answered with a smile, seeing nothing wrong with that. If Kenshin and Tomoe were having so much fun in each other's company, why couldn't she have some fun with Enishi? At least the guy talked to her.

"You know, I wanted to be a columnist," he said out of nowhere.

"Really?" she asked, unbelieving. Okay, that had nothing to do with the project but still, it was a conversation starter. Good job, Enishi.

"It's true," Katsura inserted, listening to their conversation. "Ever since, I wanted him to take a business course but he wouldn't because he wanted to take journalism."

"But Dad's right. I was really meant for business. That's why when I realized I was never gonna be a good columnist, I shifted to a business course during third year in college before it's too late," Enishi stated with a smile that assured her he was comfortable talking about it. After all, he was the one who brought it up.

"You didn't regret it?" Aoshi asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"At first, but I'm more useful in the business world," Enishi answered humbly.

"And another thing, business runs through our veins," Katsura joined in.

"Except me, Dad," Tomoe inserted. "I'm a model."

"Modeling suits you. You're an asset in that field," Kenshin said.

"Thank you!" the smile Tomoe gave him was as sweet as honey.

After a while, Katsura invited them to his study room to discuss the project.

"Bye, Kenshin," Tomoe said. She wasn't entering the study room. "I'll just call you. I'm afraid I'm still suffering from jet lag," she added while tiptoeing to kiss Kenshin, on the cheeks of course. "Goodnight, everybody," she told everyone before she went to kiss his father and left.

Kenshin followed her with his eyes and she didn't like that one bit. All of a sudden, his gaze shifted to her, catching her watching him. A playful smirk formed in his lips – which confused her a lot. Was her jealousy of Tomoe so obvious?

"Shall we, Kaoru?" said Enishi all of a sudden while offering her his arm.

"Thank you," she said, smiling.

The discussion started and Katsura explained some things about the project to them.

"Is everything understood?" the old man asked.

"Yes, Sir," answered Kenshin. "We will show you the drafts as soon as possible."

"Okay. I'll expect them from you soon."

They decided to say goodbye because time was making its way to the later part of the evening. The father and son escorted them to the door.

"Kaoru, can I call you some time?" Enishi asked.

"Sure." She gave him her number with a smile. Anyway, she needed to treat Mr. Yukishiro well because he was one of their most influential 'clients' and of course his children were included.

"Is it okay if I call you at the office?" he returned her smile.

"Of course you can call her at the office especially if it's about the project." It was Kenshin who answered him sternly.

"Okay, thank you," Enishi said, not noticing Kenshin's stern expression.

While on their way to the office, the three still talked about the project with Yukishiro Realty. Aoshi's car was still parked in the office building.

"Thanks, Boss," Aoshi said when they were at the office's parking lot.

"I'll just go home from here," Kaoru told Kenshin while making a move to get down from the car.

"I'll take you home," he stopped her. "Bye, Aoshi." The guy just nodded and left.

"I can commute," she reasoned out.

"Your area is on the way to mine and besides, I want to discuss some things with you."

"About?" she asked, really confused.

"About how you flirted with Enishi," he told her seriously, which really caught her surprised.

"I wasn't flirting. I was just doing that to please him 'cause he's the son of our client."

"You were right to please him but don't encourage him," he replied, sarcasm heard in his voice.

"I wasn't encouraging him!" Okay, now she was starting to get pissed. What was the guy's problem anyway?

"Just make sure of that, Ms. Kamiya. I don't want our job to be ruined because of your carelessness," he said.

"I can't see why our job will be 'ruined' because of me!"

"Because business and pleasure shouldn't go together," was his stern reply.

"Don't worry because that will never happen, Mr. Himura," she told him trying hard to hold on to her control. Of course she didn't have enough guts to ask him, 'What about you and Tomoe?' regarding that business with pleasure remark. Maybe that 'rule' was only for employees like her.

"Make sure of that," he replied while stepping on the gas.

It was already ten thirty in the evening but Kaoru was still working in her office. She was finishing the drafts Kenshin needed to show Yukishiro Realty this Monday morning. She knew she could finish it until midnight and she wasn't afraid to be alone at the office since she usually did that whenever a draft needs to be rushed. Another thing was, there were other people from other departments. Work days were only until Fridays and she didn't want to work on Saturday. She had a laptop, of course, and she could take the work home, but the atmosphere at home really makes her sleepy – and that would only make things a lot harder.

"Aren't you finished there yet, Kaoru?" Kenshin asked so suddenly that it literally made her jump because she was so focused on typing. "It's late," he added.

"I'm not yet done but I'm sure I'll finish it tonight," she answered looking at him for a while. His features were still fresh and it didn't look like he worked all day – which he did. "Don't worry. This will be finished in time for your presentation."

"Why don't you take the job home with you?" he suggested. It seems he already forgot about their argument last night.

"But you need this early tomorrow, right?" she reminded him.

"Right, but I wouldn't pass by here on Monday anyway; I'll go directly to the meeting."

"Are you waiting for the articles to be finished? Is that why you're here?"

"The truth is, yes, but I was still finishing other things, anyway," he told her with a smile and she felt that someone just tickled her heart.

"So, I still couldn't take this home."

"I could ask Fumiko to fetch it from your place and take it to my pad. I can call her at her home," he was referring to his secretary.

"If that's the case, I'll take this home." She gave up. She would have to wake up her brother Yahiko and ask him to give her extra strong coffee.

"I'll leave the keys to my pad with you."

"Why?" confused, she asked.

"I'm going to my parent's home early tomorrow morning because it's the silver anniversary of one of my aunts and they're gonna be married again. Just hand it to Fumiko with the drafts."

"Okay." She noticed that Kenshin made a great deal about the different occasions in their family. Anyway, she heard that his father was also the same. That's such a major plus factor for her.

"Get your things ready so I can take you home."

Okay, that was so unnecessary. Why does he have to be a gentleman and a prick at the same time? What did the guy think of her? She was old enough to go home on her own. "There's no need, I'll just get a taxi."

"Taxis aren't safe nowadays. Something might happen to you. Those drivers aren't to be trusted. I'll take you home."

"I'm sure nothing will happen to me. And besides, I don't wanna be such a bother to you."

"You're not bothering me. As your employer, you're my responsibility. I'll take you home." He's starting to sound scary now.

Oh, so is that why he's so persistent to take her home. He just saw her as a responsibility! Well, what else did she expect? She had no right to.

Reluctantly, she agreed.

Yay! Chapter 2 done. Reviews please… Chapter 3 (which contains the LIE) should be up soon. Watch out for that. Thanks a lot for taking time to read my story and REVIEWING it. You are gonna review, right? You should, 'cause I ain't posting Chapter 3 until I have enough reviews….

Thanks again and God Bless…

Belle-chan!


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